How Envision’s Rehabilitation Spaces Build Everyday Independence in Wichita and Dallas

At Envision’s Wichita campus, “Independence Blvd” recreates everyday environments such as storefronts, a small grocery area, a kitchen, and home-like spaces so clients can safely practice daily routines like shopping, meal preparation, and household tasks. Varied flooring such as wood, carpet, and brick helps clients recognize changes underfoot, and adjustable lighting simulates real conditions like glare or shadow. Orientation and Mobility Specialists use the space for safe-travel instruction, and occupational therapists guide clients through practical problem-solving using adaptive tools and labeling systems. As Karen Kendrick, Rehabilitation Services Manager at the Vision Rehabilitation Center, explains: “As much as you can try to explain or describe how to do something, unless you actually put them in that specific environment, it’s hard to completely duplicate it…even if it’s something as simple as reading a price tag, being able to do it in a grocery store setting helps it click in a way that an exam room can’t.” 

Independence Blvd is a central component of training inside the Bicknell Vision Rehabilitation Center, where programs like Envision’s Training for Independence Program (TIP) bring participants together to apply adaptive techniques in realistic settings. Its development and continued enhancement were made possible thanks to community supporters and longtime Envision advocate Dave Unruh, whose commitment to building opportunities for independence helped shape the space into a meaningful resource for people across Kansas and beyond. 

In Dallas, “Esther’s Place” offers a parallel experience focused on independent living at home. Located inside the Gigi and Carl Allen Family Vision Rehabilitation Center, Esther’s Place is a fully furnished model apartment named in honor of Esther R. Smith, whose leadership and generosity helped establish the space in partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind. Clients work one-on-one with occupational therapists to master everyday tasks in a realistic kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Dallas also hosts SKIP, the Seniors Keys to Independence Program. SKIP participants use Esther’s Place to practice safe cooking techniques, medication organization, labeling systems, and lighting adjustments, and to evaluate practical tools such as talking appliances, tactile markers, and magnification options. Developed in partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind’s Center on Vision Loss, the space allows seniors and other adults to test and refine strategies they can carry directly into their homes. 

Together, Independence Blvd in Wichita and Esther’s Place in Dallas reflect Envision’s commitment to designing real training for real life, providing individuals with the skills and confidence to live independently at home, at work, and in the community.